Thursday, July 28, 2016

Beverage Director Andra "AJ" Johnson of Macon Bistro & Larder, located at 5520 Connecticut Ave., NW, is pleased to debut three new cocktails featuring the popular Brazilian spirit, Cachaça, to coincide with the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Guests can enjoy theses themed libations throughout the Olympic games from August 5th through August 21st, during dinner service. Dinner is served Tuesday through Thursday, from 5 PM to 10 PM, Friday and Saturday, from 5 PM to 11 PM, and Sunday, from 5 PM to 10 PM. These specials cocktails range in price from $14 to $15.

Cachaça, a distilled spirit made from sugarcane juice, is the most popular distilled alcoholic beverage in Brazil. Like rum, Cachaça has two varieties, un-aged white and aged gold. White cachaça is usually bottled immediately after distillation, while dark cachaça, usually seen as the "premium" variety, is aged in wood barrels and is meant to be drunk straight. Cocktails being featured during the Summer Olympics include at Macon Bistro & Larder include the following:

• No Right Angles, made with Avua "Prata" Cachaça rested in stainless steel casks and hand bottled. The Avua “Prata” is a lush and crisp spirit with subtle floral notes. This unique cocktails also features basil, lime, absinthe, sparkling wine, and Peychaud bitters.

• Blonde Mahogany, made with Avua "Amburana" Cachaça, Cointreau, Velvet Falernum, Lillet Blanc, muddled oranges and mint, honey, barrel aged orange bitters, and topped with soda water. The nickname for Amburana Wood is Blonde Mahogany. This Cachaça is aged up to two years in Amburana wood casks. Amburana is an indigenous wood of Latin America and gives a mix of savory and warm notes to the nose and palate.

• Lighting the Torch, made withAvua "Oak" Cachaça aged up to two years in French oak casks, Traverse City bourbon, Jack Rudy small batch grenadine, pineapple Juice, and Fee Brothers lemon bitters. Green Chartreuse is poured into a tall martini glass and a chartreuse lemon peel is lit on fire table side and extinguished with the cocktail being poured over it by the server. French wood traders landed in Brazil in 1555 and so putting spirits on barrel in Brazil has been a long lasting tradition, but didi not gain world recognition until the 1960s. The French barrels give the spirit depth and complexity as well as a nutty and butterscotch flavor.

Macon Bistro & Larder is located at 5520 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20015. The restaurant is open for dinner, Tuesday through Thursday, from 5 PM to 10 PM, Friday and Saturday, from 5 PM to 11 PM, and Sunday, from 5 PM to 10 PM. Brunch is served on Sunday, from 10 AM to 2 PM. The Larder opens at 2 PM daily, and the bar opens at 4 PM daily. For reservations please call (202) 248-7807 or visit www.maconbistro.com.